Education

By Michael A. Fletcher
Attorney General Eric Holder and Education Secretary Arne Duncan will travel to Chicago next Wednesday to meet with students, community members and officials from the high school attended by a 16-year-old honor student who was beaten to death last week, White Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said Thursday.

Police called the student, Derrion Albert, an innocent victim who got caught up in the midst of a fight between two rival factions at Christian Fenger High School. He was killed in an horrific beating that was captured on video. Earlier this week, law enforcement officials said that four people had been charged with first-degree murder in connection with the case.

Gibbs said the administration officials will discuss school violence. He said the crime has captured the concern of President Obama, who is headed to Copenhagen Thursday evening to support Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics. "Obviously, it's of great concern to the president, as somebody who's -- lives in Chicago but would -- would and should be a concern for every American," Gibbs said. "This isn't a Chicago problem; this is violence. Youth violence is a problem throughout our country."

Comments

As a former teacher, I have witnessed first-hand, the violence that is permitted to maintain its presence in our schools.
I also realize that the Administration
departments throughout the United States'
educational system, is negligent in attempting to prevent these incidents from transpiring because they are afraid to offend anyone, and in addition, they are deathly afraid of any future suits. Administrators and Teachers are not maintaining a stronger sense of discipline in our schools for all the reasons already mentioned. Using the Psychology of President Harry S. Truman, the "Buck stops here," should be enforced. Because a stronger sense of discipline is not maintained in our schools, students know that there are hardly any consequences to
deter their actions in the future, consequently the beating death of this honor student. When is the United States ever going to learn, that their quest to
maintain a sense of passivity is not longer a valid concept, in both our school system and on the military battle field.

Posted by: dennishabern1 | October 3, 2009 8:17 AM

sobrien2:

You are delusional and make up stories to suit your needed outcomes. The fight involving the Jenna Six involved several boys on both sides, and escalated AFTER the 'victim' threw the first punch and got his A** kicked by ONE kid!! He showed up to a dance later that same NIGHT with a black eye. Nothing more...

Stop the lies! Expose the racists! That's what we do...

Posted by: myplacegrill | October 2, 2009 2:21 PM

Perhaps the visit from the Attorney General Holder will generate some activity among the parents, educators, religious leaders, etc all over this city. This is a city-wide epidemic of gangs-against-student violence. The fact that those young men were 18 & 19 suggest that they were not in school but in some gang. Their parents and neighbors should have turned them in long ago but didn't. So once again, we tax-payers have to pay for their incarceration. I say the minute you catch them and in this case, from the video we know they did this, put them to death as they did young Derrick. They don't deserve fair play or a trial.

Posted by: whtlady849 | October 2, 2009 11:58 AM

Where are the Republican criticisms that Obama did not go to Chicago because this violence is out of control. Oh yea, a good Republican does not do that unless his master tells them to.

Posted by: Gator-ron | October 1, 2009 6:42 PM

Why doesn't the coverage of this terrible beating deal with the disparity in Obama's reaction to the Jena Six beating, which involved the stomping of a prostrate victim and which could have been a lot worse had teachers not intervened?

Barack Obama called the Jena Six beating a "schoolyard fight". Maybe a WaPo reporter could ask whether he stands by that characterization.

Posted by: sobrien2 | October 1, 2009 6:11 PM

About time...I'm so disappointed in my President & First Lady, your laughing & joking vying for to get the Olympics to Chicago..first speak to the children fighting for lives & dying in the streets. God Bless & Good Night.

Posted by: josephine1019 | October 1, 2009 5:18 PM

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